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Expert Advice
Expert Advice
InsomniaInsomnia or sleeplessness is a condition that
often causes annoyance, and by depriving the person of his natural rest, results
in interference with his activity during the day. When it becomes a habit, it
may pose a serious menace to health.
Causes and Symptoms:
Insomnia may be due to a variety of causes that keep the person
awake altogether, or result in disturbing dreams and unrefreshing slumber.
There are many people with a nervous temperament whose sleep is much more liable
to be interrupted by trivial causes than that of their easy-going neighbours.
In temporary cases of sleeplessness or dreaming in which the affected person
suffers from disturbed nights now and then, the cause is usually to be sought in
some external source of irritation. A slight degree of pain; uncomfortable
surroundings, such as insufficient covering in winter or a hot and humid night
without a fan; an overfill] stomach causing discomfort; or a nagging worry may
prevent the brain from attaining the degree of relaxation which is a
prerequisite of sleep. Other factors such as extreme worry overwork, voluntary
limitation of the hours of sleep, and grief may lead to, a habitual lack of
sleep. Poisonous substances circulating in the blood, as in the case of a fever
or an infection, neurasthenia, or nervous weakness may also cause loss of sleep.
Medicines & Prescriptions:
The treatment of insomnia lies in removing the cause. After the
somatic reasons such as dyspepsia, pain, and uncomfortable surroundings have all
been removed and sleep still refuses to oblige, the physician must then look for
psychological reasons which deny the patient a restful sleep. The vitiation of
the three doshas, taken together or individually, may be the cause of the
disorder. Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) and Vacha (Acorus calamus),
and, of course, Amalaki are the drugs of choice for insomnia. Powders of
these drugs, individually or in combination, in doses of one teaspoonful, are
given thrice a day with water or milk. Til (sesame) oil should be boiled
with these powders and used for massaging the head and body before a bath. An
alternative remedy is poppy seed oil.
Another remedy which can be administered by a
practitioner is dhara. Two litres of buffalo milk is boiled with two
ounces of Mustak (Cyperus rotundus) powder and then converted into curd.
The curd is then churned and the butter removed. the buttermilk left, mixed with
an equal quantity of decoction of amalaki, is dropped, one drop at a
time, between the eyebrows of the patient when he lies flat on his back. The
dripping is continued for fifteen to twenty minutes in the morning. This is
followed by a bath. Any of the following standard medicines may also be tried:
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1. |
Vatakulantaka. |
120 mg to be administered twice daily
with honey. |
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2. |
Nidrodaya Rasa. |
120 mg to be taken with honey
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|
3. |
Ashwagandha Churna. |
1 gm to be taken with sugar and
ghee. |
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4. |
Pipplimula Churna;
Swarnamakshika. |
1.5 gm to he taken in a single dose
at bedtime. 1 gm to be taken with gur. |
In addition, Chameli Taila should
be used for messaging the head to induce sleep.
Home Remedies:
A common home remedy for insomnia is the banana. A teaspoonful
of fried powder of cumin seeds should be mixed with the pulp of a ripe banana
and taken last thing at night. Cow's ghee should be used for massaging the soles
of the feet at night.
Diet and Other Regimen:
The patient should have a filling diet depending on his capacity to digest it.
Buffalo milk and its buttermilk are particularly helpful.
Massage of the body, followed by a cold or hot
bath, depending on the season, are recommended. The patient must take exercise
so that he is tired before he lies down in bed. Predisposing causes like worry
and mental strain must be removed before one can expect any success in the
treatment of insomnia.
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